緊急（きんきゅう、kinkyuu）
- emergency

The Japanese word 緊急 (きんきゅう) directly translates to "emergency," "urgency," or "critical situation" in English. It signifies a situation demanding immediate attention and action because of its serious or dangerous nature. It implies a sense of suddenness, importance, and often, potential risk. The word is used to describe circumstances that require prompt response to prevent harm, loss, or further deterioration. The degree of 緊急 can vary, but the core meaning always centers around the need for rapid intervention.

⚫︎ 緊急地震速報 Translation: Emergency Earthquake Alert ⚫︎ 緊急電話 Translation: Emergency Call ⚫︎ 緊急 手術 Translation: Emergency Surgery

緊急 is used in formal and informal situations. It's common in news reports, official announcements, medical contexts, and daily conversations. It's used when emphasizing the need for immediate action, whether it be informing someone of a dangerous event or requesting help. The level of politeness depends on the context and the speaker's relationship with the listener. It is often followed by a noun or used as an adverb to modify a verb, to show that something is happening in a 緊急 way.

緊急 is primarily written with kanji. The reading is きんきゅう in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is fixed, and there are no variations.

⚫︎ 非常 (ひじょう) - Emergency, extraordinary (broader sense) ⚫︎ 早急 (そうきゅう) - Urgent, prompt ⚫︎ 急ぎ (いそぎ) - Hurry, urgency (more casual) ⚫︎ 危急 (ききゅう) - Critical situation (emphasizes danger)

⚫︎ 平常 (へいじょう) - Normal, ordinary ⚫︎ 通常 (つうじょう) - Usual, normal ⚫︎ 緩和 (かんわ) - Alleviation, easing (opposite in effect)

緊急 時に、この避難場所に来てください。 ・Translation: Please come to this evacuation site in an emergency. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 緊急 to indicate the specific situation when the evacuation site should be used.

緊急 の場合は、119番に電話してください。 ・Translation: In an emergency, please call 119. ・Explanation: This sentence is a standard warning and uses 緊急 to highlight when to use the emergency number.

緊急 is a compound word formed from two kanji: 緊 (きん), meaning "tight," "urgent," or "critical," and 急 (きゅう), meaning "urgent," "rapid," or "sudden." Together, they combine to form a concept emphasizing a situation of high importance requiring swift action, emphasizing the "tightness" of the situation and the "rapidity" needed for response, thus, 緊急.